Tuesday, March 03, 2015, 2:31 p.m.

General demoted for lavish travel, spending

WASHINGTON  A senior U.S. official said Tuesday that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has demoted the former head of U.S. Africa Command who was accused of spending thousands of dollars on lavish travel and other unauthorized expenses.

The official says Panetta stripped Gen. William “Kip” Ward of a star, which means that he will now retire as a three-star lieutenant general despite some arguments against the demotion.

Ward will also repay the government $82,000.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official wasn’t authorized to discuss a personnel matter.

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Where are these bums and free loaders coming from? One place Congress and the President need to cut spending is the lavish pensions that these people get. The miliiary should not be set up as an ATM machine but a defense and fighting machine. This is what happens when all the Presidents beginning with Reagan. except for the first Bush, do not have one iota of knowledge about military affairs. Carter was a USN grad and commanded a sub and knew the system, that is partly the reason the military brass was uncomfortable with him because he was the man who knew too much,